Knowledge-based e-catalog procurement system and method

ABSTRACT

A flexible, intelligent electronic procurement method and system that emulates and learns from the adaptive behavior of a user trying to find a product in an electronic catalog. In contrast to existing methods and systems, the invention does not require the pre-loading of index hierarchies, it does not impose fixed structures on the user, it does not require the user to start ‘from scratch’ when looking for a new item, and it does not force the user to think like someone else. Instead, the invention allows the user to choose his own way to navigate catalogs of items, and then, by remembering successful search scenarios, and storing that knowledge in a dynamic, growing database (or ‘forest’) of collected search paths, or ‘trees’, the invention evolves ‘organically’ over time. Thus, the utility of the invention increases over time once implemented in a given environment. Further, the invention is able to do this in a time- and space-efficient manner (that is, without the forest growing too tangled, dense or large) not only because of its method and architecture, but also through the use of autonomous background processes that continually prune and update the tree structures for optimum storage and navigation.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application incorporates by reference, in whole, the provisional application:

[0002] Knowledge-Based E-Catalog Procurement System and Method, Application No. 60/310,915, Filing Date Aug. 8, 2001, Inventors G. Berkowitz, C. Wurtz, B. Roe.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[0003] Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX

[0004] Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005] 1. Field of the Invention

[0006] The present invention is directed toward the field of electronic procurement systems. More specifically, the technology described in this provisional patent application relates to a knowledge-based e-catalog procurement system and method.2.

[0007] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0008] One of the most difficult problems facing Business-to-Business (B2B) Internet commerce is the lack of consistent nomenclature across suppliers. Successful business-to-consumer Internet vendors, such as Amazon.com, enjoy common identifiers in the form of International Standard Book Numbers (ISBN), for example, and Universal Price Codes (UPC), as another example. In the B2B arena, however, common identifiers are non-existent. Although the Internet provides access to a large number of supplier catalogs, the effort required to locate a particular item is highly labor intensive.

[0009] Current technology approaches available to solve the B2B business problem discussed above include: (1) creating a common nomenclature mapping (e.g., Aspect); (2) utilizing specialized search technology, such as available from Ariba, Inc.; (3) standardizing and or scrubbing vendor data; and (3) using relational technology. All of these approaches suffer from several disadvantages, however.

[0010] In the case of nomenclature mapping, such as Aspect, the solution is very expensive. Additionally, data must be preloaded into the system, a task representing a significant cost in data-entry person-hours. Finally, this solution is costly to maintain. Each of the other approaches also suffers from limitations, as further outlined at pages 4-5 of the IntelleCat Functional Specification, which is included in the DETAILED DESCRIPTION. The IntelleCat Functional Specification provides a detailed functional description of a product called IntelleCat, which is the preferred embodiment of the present invention, and which is a knowledge-based e-catalog procurement system.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The invention, termed IntelleCat, is a knowledge-based e-catalog procurement assistant. It was created to solve problems encountered in the area of catalog management in electronic procurement systems. IntelleCat is intended to work closely with a major e-procurement system (e.g. Ariba, CommerceOne, Oracle) or as a stand-alone ordering system. It empowers procurement professionals to successfully search and find, retain purchasing expertise, and consistently implement best-practice procurements on a global scale.

[0012] One of the most difficult problems facing B2B Internet commerce is the lack of consistent nomenclature across suppliers. Successful business-to-consumer Internet vendors, such as Amazon.com™, enjoy common identifiers in the form of International Standard Book Numbers (ISBN) and Universal Price Codes (UPC). In the B2B arena, common identifiers are non-existent. Although the Internet provides access to a large number of supplier catalogs (approximately 40-50% currently, with up to 90% coming online over the next 1-2 years), the effort required to locate a particular item is highly labor intensive.

[0013] Current technology approaches available to solve the B2B business problem include:

[0014] 1) Creating a common nomenclature mapping (e.g. Aspect)

[0015] 2) Utilizing Ariba's search technology

[0016] 3) Standardizing and/or scrubbing vendor data

[0017] 4) Using relational technology

[0018] In the case of Aspect, the solution is expensive. At over $4.00 per record, a one million record database costs $4M just to populate. Additionally, data must be preloaded, a task that represents a significant cost in data-entry person-hours. Finally, the solution is costly to maintain, because as vendor catalogs change over time, additional data entry is required to change underlying databases.

[0019] While the workflow features of the Ariba product have been well received, difficulties have been encountered with Ariba's catalog search technology. Users have found it difficult to restrict searches and locate parts in a reasonable amount of time, which has led to user frustration. Furthermore, Ariba's searches are only as good as the vendor catalog. If a catalog is well defined, the search executes reasonably well. Most catalogs, however, do not fall into the ‘well defined’ category.

[0020] Second, corporate purchases have experienced tremendous difficulty getting catalogs loaded into their procurement system. The primary reason is that the procurement system requires the catalog data be in a specific format, but the vendors are not supplying the catalogs in this format. Corporate purchasing then has the choice of either changing the format themselves (a burdensome task), or having very few online catalogs.

[0021] To design a relational database solution to solve the problem is almost impossible for two reasons. To represent an average corporation's part and location data, the database schema would have to provide an extremely long relational tuple to support an arbitrary number of attributes. While current relational technology can support this, it is impractical in terms of performance. In order to capture the ‘shopping process’, a dynamic database schema would need to self-modify as users interact with the system. Current relational technology does not support the latter.

[0022] Optimally, a solution was needed that is technologically feasible, functionally adaptive, easy to use, and cost-effective.

[0023] The solution needed to allow the data representations, which describe the item to be purchased, to be arbitrarily flexible. These data representations needed to be able to change over time without requiring onerous system administration. Additionally, the solution should capture the shopping process. Once a specific item has initially been located, subsequent searches for a similar, or an identical item, needed to be very fast and painless for the user. And lastly, this all needs to be accomplished without having to scrub vendor data.

[0024] The present invention's solution to the business problem is twofold. First, IntelleCat allows a much greater flexibility with regard to the format of the catalog data being loaded. Catalogs can be loaded and searched even if they are missing data fields. Furthermore, IntelleCat supports a virtually infinite variety of catalog data formats. Second, IntelleCat has a very intuitive and flexible search mechanism that also captures and shares search knowledge among all users of the system. Both aspects of IntelleCat are based on the idea of organic data structures that grow and adapt over time as they are used.

[0025] IntelleCat emulates the adaptive behavior of a user trying to find a product. Remembering the successful searches of corporate purchasers, IntelleCat evolves ‘organically’ over time. Acting as a companion to existing search procedures, it grows a ‘forest’ of path-dependent trees that represent successful search scenarios. As a result, it evolves from being “completely devoid of utility” to being “enormously useful”.

[0026] Different users may have different ways of thinking about the search hierarchy. IntelleCat stores all versions of trees that lead to the same result. The user is not, therefore, burdened by having to think like someone else. The consequence of this level of flexibility is that IntelleCat creates a rather large, complex forest of tree structures. IntelleCat is able to do this in a time- and space-efficient manner not only because of its proprietary architecture, but also through the use of various autonomous processes (named daemons) running behind the scenes, that continually prune and update the structures for optimum storage and navigation.

[0027] The IntelleCat solution, in summary:

[0028] Requires no pre-loading of index data

[0029] Requires no vendor data scrubbing

[0030] Imposes no fixed structures on users

[0031] Does not require existing systems to change

[0032] Evolves alongside current procedures

[0033] Is dynamic, flexible, and adaptive

[0034] Is completely scalable and extensible

[0035] IntelleCat, while initially ignorant of corporate purchasing searches, will, over time, relieve the burden of painstaking manual searches for the majority of purchase requisitions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0036]FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram representation of the software architecture comprising the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0037] The detailed description of the present invention is contained in the following two attached documents: the IntelleCat Functional Specification (32 pages), and the IntelleCat Technical Specification (56 pages). Further, the detailed description incorporates, in whole, the provisional application referenced in the CROSS-REFERENCE section. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A software method for enabling electronic procurement users to locate electronic-catalog items, without the need for pre-defined hierarchies, that functions across a variety of electronic formats, utilizing knowledge captured from previous users of the system in a flexible, adaptive manner that allows for differing cognitive styles of search, providing intelligent assistance in finding search terms, and learning and growing with increasing use, in a series of steps comprising: a. verifying and logging the user according to a security profile; b. connecting the user to a database of existing search trees; c. allowing the user to navigate existing search trees, and/or d. allowing user to construct and/or modify their own search tree by choosing search terms; e. utilizing an intelligent assistance function that provides lists of suggested terms culled from existing electronic catalogs and previous user experience; f. providing a mechanism for users to requisition and/or purchase any found catalog item; g. storing the terms, the search path taken, and the search tree constructed by the user, and any catalog items selected, for later use by other users; h. using the information captured in (f) to update the database of trees, enabling the system to grow and adapt over time. 